Computer system component bay

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a component bay having an operational height and an expanded height. The component bay is moveable between the operational height and the expanded height. A thermal element divides the component bay into one or more compartments, each compartment configured to receive a system component. The component bay at the operational height provides thermal contact between the received system component and the thermal element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to the mounting and storage of computersystem components, such as hard disk drives, and more specifically, tocooling of such components.

BACKGROUND

Hard disk drives are typically mounted at the front of a system,commonly plugging into a stationary vertical backplane. The drives giveoff heat as they consume electrical energy. Fans are typically used todraw air around the drives to cool them through convective heattransfer.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an apparatus for containing computersystem components. The apparatus includes a component bay having anoperational height and an expanded height. The component bay is moveablebetween the operational height and the expanded height. A thermalelement divides the component bay into one or more compartments, eachcompartment configured to receive a system component. The component bayat the operational height provides thermal contact between the receivedsystem component and the thermal element.

Also disclosed herein are embodiments of a method for containingcomputer system components. The method includes expanding a componentbay to an expanded height, where a thermal element divides the componentbay into one or more compartments. The method further includes insertingone or more computer system components into a compartment in theexpanded component bay. The method further includes moving the componentbay to an operational height such that the one or more computer systemcomponents are in thermal contact with a thermal element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a front view of an example of a computer systemcomponent storage apparatus.

FIG. 1B depicts a side view of an example configuration of sheet metalguide tracks supporting a computer system component.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an example of a computer system componentstorage apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for an example method for storing computersystem components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As server functionality and content has grown, so too has the number andcapacity of hard disk drives and other components integrated into serverdesigns to satisfy customer demands. These banks of disks are oftensituated close in parallel at the front of a server system, therebyserving as a source of preheat to downstream components and posing asignificant resistance to airflow, especially when combined with avertical backplane. These conditions have a negative impact on theoverall cooling solution and can drive the system to larger fans, higherfan speeds, or more expensive, aggressive thermal management components.These aggressive thermal management components have drawbacks includingcost and noise produced. As the number of disks and their powerdissipation grows, so too do these thermal challenges.

Embodiments of the present invention use a combination of conduction andconvection to cool hard disk drives and other computer systemcomponents, wherein heat may be transferred via conduction from a diskdrive to a thermal element and heat may be transferred from the thermalelement to air flowing through a heat dissipation region on the thermalelement. This combination may allow for higher heat dissipation perdrive than convection-only cooling. Some embodiments provide a centralairflow channel which may provide less resistance to airflow and moreefficient cooling compared to drawing air around the drives. This mayallow for reduction in the size or number of fans required to cool thedrives. Some embodiments may allow for more use of the depth of asystem, compared to the typical plugging of disk drives into the frontof a system.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detailwith reference to the figures.

FIG. 1A illustrates a computer component storage apparatus 100 with twocomponent bays 101 (shown as 101A and 101B) according to an embodimentof the present invention. An alternative computer storage apparatuscould have any number of component bays 101, including as few as one. InFIG. 1A, computer component storage apparatus 100 includes component bay101A at expanded height 102 and component bay 101B at operational height103. Component bay 101A and component bay 101B are identical in FIG. 1A,but component bay 101B is rotated horizontally 180 degrees fromcomponent bay 101A. However, other embodiments may have component bays101 in a different relationship to each other.

Each component bay 101 may be divided into multiple compartments 110 byone or more thermal elements 104. In the illustrated embodiment, thereare two compartments 110 which are divided by thermal element 104. Inother embodiments there could be any number of compartments 110,including as few as one, and further there could be any number ofthermal elements 104 defining these compartments 110. For example, FIG.1A illustrates thermal element 104 extending horizontally through themiddle of component bay 101 to divide the component bay into twoseparate compartments 110, with a compartment below thermal element 104and a compartment on top of thermal element 104. Alternatively, anembodiment could include thermal element 104 extending horizontallythrough component bay 101 at the top or the bottom to divide thecomponent bay into just one compartment 110. Another embodiment couldinclude more thermal elements 104 extending horizontally through thecomponent bay 101 to create more than two compartments 110 wherecompartments 110 and thermal elements 104 alternate vertically. Further,an embodiment could include one thermal element 104 consisting ofmultiple plates, wherein the plates are all connected to each other andeach plate extends horizontally through the component bay 101 to createtwo or more compartments 110 with compartments 110 and platesalternating vertically. Even further, an embodiment could include any ofthe foregoing configurations wherein the thermal elements 104 runvertically through the component bay such that compartments 110 andthermal elements 104 alternate horizontally across the component bay.

Compartments 110 may be configured to receive a computer systemcomponent 112, such as a hard disk drive. When component bay 101A is atexpanded height 102, computer system components 112 may be inserted andremoved from compartments 110. FIG. 1A illustrates component bay 101A atexpanded height 102 with one computer system component 112 partiallyremoved from a compartment 110. When component bay 101B is atoperational height 103, received computer system components 112 may bein thermal contact with thermal element 104. Thermal contact does notnecessarily mean that there is actual physical contact, although in someembodiments there may be actual physical contact. Thermal contact meansthat heat is capable of being transferred between received computersystem components 112 and thermal element 104. In some embodiments, someof the received computer system components 112 may be placed in thermalcontact with more than one thermal element 104. For example, anembodiment may contain two thermal elements 104 which divide thecomponent bay 101 into three compartments 110. The component bay 101B atthe operational height 103 may place the computer system component 112received into the middle compartment 110 in thermal contact with boththermal elements 104, with a thermal element 104 on each opposing sideof the computer system component 112. In this embodiment, the other twocompartments 110 may be in thermal contact with only one of the thermalelements 104.

Computer system components 112 can be any component of a computer systemincluding a hard disk drive or a dual in-line memory module. FIG. 1Aillustrates component bays 101 with compartments 110 configured toreceive a hard disk drive in a horizontal position. In otherembodiments, the compartments 110 could be configured to receive thehard disk drive in a vertical position or any other orientation.

In the illustrated embodiment, compartments 110 are configured tocomputer system components 112 using u-shaped sheet metal guide tracks124. U-shaped sheet metal guide tracks 124 may cover most of the side ofcomputer system components 112, but cover only a small portion of thetop and bottom of computer system components 112, as shown in FIG. 1B.This may allow for guide tracks 124 to leave a larger surface area ofcomputer system components 112 available for thermal contact withthermal element 104. FIG. 1B shows a side view of sheet metal guidetracks 124 supporting computer system component 112. Computer systemcomponents 112 may slide along sheet metal guide tracks 124. The sheetmetal in this embodiment can be any type of sheet metal.

In other embodiments the compartments 110 could be configured into anystructure and made of any material capable of supporting computer systemcomponents 112 and allowing for thermal contact between computer systemcomponents 112 and thermal element 104. Alternative embodiments mayinclude compartments 110 configured to support multiple computer systemcomponents 112. For example, an embodiment may include a compartment 110configured to receive two computer system components 112 side-by-sidesuch that they are both placed in thermal contact with the same side ofthe same thermal element 104 when the component bay 101B is at theoperational height 103.

The component bays 101 may contain any mechanism configured to allowmovement between expanded height 102 and operational height 103. In FIG.1A, scissor structures 114 are located on opposing sides of componentbay 101A and component bay 101B to provide movement between expandedheight 102 and operational height 103. Scissor structures 114 may beconnected to sheet metal guide tracks 124 and thermal element 104.Scissor structures 114 may be identical, as they are in FIG. 1A wherecomponent bay 101B is the same as the component bay 101A horizontallyrotated 180 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, scissor structures114 place installed computer system components 112 in thermal contactwith thermal element 104 when component bay 101 is at operational height103.

Scissor structures 114 in FIG. 1A use manual force applied by a user tomove from expanded height 102 to operational height 103, or fromoperational height 103 to expanded height 102. In alternativeembodiments the movement of scissor structures 114 could occur viaelectronic motor, gear and crank mechanism, or any other method.Although FIG. 1A illustrates scissor structure 114 for movement betweenthe expanded height 102 and the operational height 103, other structuresare contemplated.

Thermal element 104 can be any element capable of receiving heat fromreceived system components 112. In FIG. 1A, thermal element 104 is aconduction plate that is part of a typical heat sink which has a heatdissipation region 106. There may be a continuous thermal connectionbetween the thermal element 104 and heat dissipation region 106 suchthat heat may be transferred from thermal element 104 to heatdissipation region 106. Thermal element 104 and heat dissipation region106 can be made of copper, aluminum, or any other thermally conductivematerial. Further, thermal element 104 may contain a phase-changeelement such as a vapor chamber or a heat pipe to enhance thermalspreading.

Heat dissipation region 106 may have fins 108. In the illustratedembodiment, fins 108 are pin fins arranged in parallel which extendoutward from a base plate. The pin fins may be cylindrical in shape,conical in shape, or may be some other shape. Fins 108 may be made ofcopper, aluminum, or any other thermally conductive material. Heatdissipation region 106 could alternatively have any combination of pinfins, plate fins, or any other structure arranged in parallel, flared,or in any other arrangement. Heat dissipation region 106 couldalternatively be a single plate with no fins 108. In alternativeembodiments, thermal element 104 could be a cold plate or other elementwhich may not be connected a heat dissipation region 106. Thesealternative embodiments may or may not provide heat dissipation region106.

In FIG. 1A, heat dissipation region 106 of component bay 101A faces heatdissipation region 106 of component bay 101B. The alignment of the heatdissipation regions 106 may create airflow channel 122 with heatdissipation regions 106 bounding the airflow channel. Fins 108 mayextend out into airflow channel 122. Airflow channel 122 may allow forcooling air to flow with a low flow resistance. The only source of flowresistance in the airflow channel 122 may be fins 108. Alternativeembodiments may have heat dissipation regions 106 facing in opposingdirections to create two airflow channels 122 with heat dissipationregions 106 bounding only one side of the airflow channels 122.

To increase thermal conductivity, thermal interface material 116 may beassociated with thermal element 104 between thermal element 104 andcompartments 110. In FIG. 1A, thermal interface material 116 is athermal pad mounted on opposing sides of thermal element 104. With thecomponent bay 101B at operational height 103, thermal interface material116 may be compressed between received computer system components 112and thermal element 104. The compression may minimize contact resistanceand allow for more efficient heat transfer between the surfaces ofreceived computer system components 112, thermal interface material 116,and thermal element 104. This is an example of thermal contact wherethere is no actual physical contact between received system component112 and thermal element 104. Heat is transferred from received systemcomponent 112 to the thermal element 104 via thermal interface material116. The thermal pad may be a thermally conductive, compliant elastomeror similar material. The thermal pad may be reusable such that it doesnot need replacing when it is removed from contact with the computersystem component. In other embodiments, thermal interface material 116can be a thermal grease or any other thermally conductive compound ormaterial.

Component bays 101 are optionally supported by a frame module 120 whichmay be at least partially removed from a frame unit. Component bays 101may be mounted to frame module 120 or simply rest on frame module 120.Frame module 120 can be a drawer, tray, or any other structure. Framemodule 120 and the frame unit may contain any mechanism which allows forthe frame module to be at least partially removable from the frame unitincluding any combination of wheels, guide tracks, or any otherstructures. The frame unit can be a stand-alone media unit which housesa single frame module 120, or it can house any number of differentcomponents and any number of frame modules 120. Frame module 120 mayhave power and data connectors at one end which can electronicallyconnect computer system components 112 to the rest of a system which maybe housed within or connected to the frame unit.

For example, frame module 120 may be a drawer which can slide in and outof a frame unit which houses a fully functional server. The drawer mayhave power and data connectors at one end which electronically connectreceived computer system components 112 to the main power supply,processor, memory, and any other elements of the system. Alternatively,the frame unit may house only the single drawer and the drawer connectsto support hardware on the frame unit which is cabled to the rest of thesystem.

In some embodiments component bay 101 may be connected to frame module120 with a pivot mechanism. The pivot mechanism allows the component bay101 to be rotated to allow vertical access to the component bay. Thisrotation may be, for example, about 90 degrees. This may be useful ifthere are space constraints on that do not allow horizontal access tocompartments 110.

In some embodiments, compartments 110 each contain a backplane 118 forelectronically connecting received computer system components 112 toprovide power and allow communication between components 112 and othersystem components not shown. Backplanes 118 may be connected by cables130 to a printed circuit board 128 associated with frame module 120.Printed circuit board 128 may be located in the bottom of the framemodule. Cables 130 may facilitate the movement of the component bay 101between the expanded height 102 and the operational height 103 comparedto a rigid structure. In some embodiments, frame module 120 may havepower and data connectors at one end which electronically connectcomputer system components 112 to the rest of the system through theprinted circuit board 128.

Component bay 101 may be secured at operational height 103 in a varietyof different ways. For example, the weight of received computer systemcomponents 112 may bias the component bay to the operational height 103.Additionally, or in the alternative, a retainer 126 may be provided forsecuring the component bay at the operational height 103. Retainer 126can be any element capable of securing component bay 101 at theoperational height including, for example, a latch or a hook and eye.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top-down view of computer component storageapparatus 200 which has eight component bays 101 mounted on frame module120, according to an embodiment of the present invention. A frame unitmay contain any number of computer storage apparatuses such as computerstorage apparatus 200. Component bays 101 may be constructed similar tothose illustrated in FIG. 1A, and may include multiple compartments 110in a variety of configurations. For example, each component bay 101 mayinclude three compartments 110 configured to receive computer systemcomponents 112. In such a configuration, computer system components 112of FIG. 2 may obscure a second and third tier of computer systemcomponents 112.

Scissor structures 114 may be located on opposing sides of eachcomponent bay 101. Component bays 101 may have heat dissipation regions106 thermally connected to thermal elements 104 which are mostlyobscured from view in FIG. 2 by computer system components 112. Computersystem components 112 may be supported by sheet metal guide tracks 124.Heat dissipation regions 106 bound airflow channel 122. Heat dissipationregions 106 may contain fins 108 which extend into airflow channel 122.

In FIG. 2, component bays 101 are arranged in two rows with heatdissipation regions 106 of each row facing each other and boundingairflow channel 122. This arrangement creates a central airflow channel122 which runs between heat dissipation regions 106 of each row. Airflowchannel 122 may allow for more efficient cooling of received systemcomponents 112. Further, this configuration may allow for more use ofthe depth of a frame unit. An alternative embodiment could havecomponent 101 bays in FIG. 2 rotated 180 degrees such that heatdissipation regions 106 of each row face away from each other toward theouter edge of frame module 120. This embodiment could have two airflowchannels 122 which are bounded by heat dissipation regions 106 on onlyone side.

Flow diagram 300 in FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exampleembodiment of a method for containing computer system components. Atstep 310, a frame module which supports a component bay is at leastpartially removed from a frame unit. This removal can occur throughforce applied by a user, through an electronic mechanism, or any othermethod. At step 320, the component bay is expanded to the expandedheight. This expansion can occur through direct application of force bya user on the component bay or through any other mechanical orelectronic mechanism. At step 330, a computer system component isinserted into a compartment in the expanded component bay. This step canoptionally include electronically connecting the computer systemcomponent to a printed circuit board associated with the frame module.This electronic connection could occur by connecting the computer systemcomponent to a backplane situated within the compartment wherein thebackplane is connected by cable to the printed circuit board.

At step 340, the component bay is moved to the operational height. Thismovement can occur through direct application of force on the componentbay or through any other mechanical or electronic mechanism. Theoperational height places the received computer system component inthermal contact with the thermal element. At step 350 the component bayis secured at the operational height using a retainer. The retainer canbe any mechanism capable of securing the component bay at theoperational height including a latch or a hook and eye. At step 360, theframe module is replaced into the frame unit. This replacement can occurthrough force applied by a user or any other method. At step 370,airflow is provided through the heat dissipation region of the thermalelement. Airflow can be provided by a fan or any other method.

Although flow diagram 300 illustrates specific steps performed in aparticular order, embodiments of the disclosed method may employ fewersteps, more steps, or similar steps performed in a different order.Furthermore, multiple steps may be combined into a single step, andsingle steps may be divided into multiple steps.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for containing computer systemcomponents, the apparatus comprising: a component bay having anoperational height and an expanded height, the component bay moveablebetween the operational height and the expanded height; and a thermalelement dividing the component bay into one or more compartments, eachcompartment configured to receive a system component, wherein thecomponent bay at the operational height provides thermal contact betweenthe received system component and the thermal element.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the component bay contains scissor structures onopposing sides of the component bay, the scissor structures providingmovement of the component bay between the operational height and theexpanded height.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: aframe module supporting the component bay.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein each of the one or more compartments has a u-shaped sheet metalguide track configured to receive a hard disk drive in a horizontalposition.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal element is aconduction plate, the apparatus further comprising: a heat dissipationregion thermally connected to the conduction plate.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 5, further comprising: a thermal interface material associatedwith the conduction plate.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein thethermal interface material is a thermal pad.
 8. The apparatus of claim7, wherein the thermal pad is compressed between the installed systemcomponent and the conduction plate when the component bay is at theoperational height.
 9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the heatdissipation region contains at least one of pin fins and plate fins. 10.The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a backplane associatedwith each of the one or more compartments, the backplane configured toelectronically connect to the received system component.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 10, further comprising: a printed circuit boardassociated with the frame module; and a cable electronically connectingthe backplane to the printed circuit board.
 12. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising: a retainer configured to secure the component bayat the operational height.
 13. An apparatus for containing computersystem components, the apparatus comprising: a frame module; a pluralityof component bays supported by the frame module, the plurality ofcomponent bays having an operational height and an expanded height, theplurality of component bays moveable between the operational height andthe expanded height; a conduction plate dividing each component bay intoone or more compartments, each compartment configured to receive asystem component, wherein the component bay at the operational heightprovides thermal contact between the received system component and theconduction plate; and a heat dissipation region thermally connected tothe conduction plate.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein theplurality of component bays are arranged in two rows to create a centralairflow channel, the heat dissipation regions bounding the centralairflow channel.
 15. A method comprising: expanding a component bay toan expanded height, a thermal element dividing the component bay intoone or more compartments; inserting a computer system component into acompartment in the expanded component bay; and moving the component bayto an operational height, the operational height ensuring thermalcontact between the computer system component and the thermal element.16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: at least partiallyremoving a frame module from a frame unit, the frame module supportingthe component bay; and replacing the frame module in the frame unit. 17.The method of claim 16, further comprising: electronically connectingthe computer system component to a printed circuit board associated withthe frame module.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein a backplane isassociated with the component bay, wherein the backplane iselectronically connected to the printed circuit board, and whereinelectronically connecting the computer system component to the printedcircuit board comprises: electronically connecting the computer systemcomponent to the backplane.
 19. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising: securing the component bay at the operational height with aretainer.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: providingairflow through a heat dissipation region on the thermal element.